Love is Protection and We're the Protectors
by x-WritingParadox-x
Summary: On G3's ship: Lance lies awake in a bed thinking of past events and how he protects Earth while G3 also protects Earth. Then, Ilana comes in and talks to him about what's on her mind. Sequel to my oneshot, Protector of the Earth. R&R


**A/N: This is probably going to turn out to be one of my worst one shots, but after today's episode, I feel motivated to write something Sym-Bionic Titan related. Keep the spirit of the show alive! I'm trying to come up with tons of ideas for fics so our count for fictions can sky-rocket. Takes place soon after Solomon tells Lance and Ilana to get rest in the latest episode, "A Steel Foe." If you're a fan of my fic, "Protector of the Earth" this can be considered the sequel, because there are references to that one shot in here. Instead, of Ilana being just a symbol, she's a friend. ENJOY! (Sorry for Lance and Ilana acting OOC.)**

**WARNING: Contains spoilers for both "A Steel Foe" and "A Family Crisis." Also, a few flashback scenes from "Fortress of Deception." Also, a reference to Cartoon Network not getting toys for the show.**

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><p>My mission seems unsuccessful. I can't go back home knowing that I somehow failed. I lie awake not aware of the time. I had only slept for five- ten- twenty minutes. My mind kept on whirling into the possibilities of how this might end. How will things end for Ilana and I? It's impossible to comprehend what will happen. Octus is dead. Octus is dead and has been dead for the past three weeks. Sadly, we have been unable to reboot him. Without my new-found robot friend we can't form Titan. <em>I failed. <em>

I tossed on my side, wrapping the beige covers around my body. I failed the King. I failed Galaluna. I failed Ilana. Somehow, it feels like I failed my own father also. No, it can't end this way. General Steel must be stopped. The Galactic Guardian Group is protecting us under the fact that we saved their leader. I hardly understand their motives. Solomon had put us through so much trouble but he's tried to fix Octus himself to no avail. It's only a matter of time before we all die or get sent to prison.

_Prison._ Familiar word to me. When I'm locked behind those bars, it feels as if I've accomplished nothing. I can not go on in this life being labeled a failure in which all prisoners are. _Failure. It could be defined as someone who can't do anything right. Someone who's an orphan. Someone who tries to protect the people of Earth, but they fail._ _Fail. Some word that American teenagers use a trend in their culture. Culture. Galalunian culture is alien to humans._ However, G3 seems to have similar technology and fighting techniques.. They're the closest Ilana and I have to our home planet, though they still don't know where we are from and why we're here.

I rolled back in the foreign bed. My eyes trailed to the ceiling. There was obviously nothing there. Nothing but metal._ Metal...Lance, stop defining things._ I drift back to sleep, hoping that my body parts will begin working properly again. I awake an hour later. _I was to protect Ilana and the people of the Earth. I failed them all. _Then it occurred to me that G3 was also protecting Earth. Not just Earth itself, but Ilana and I. Why were they so rash about it in the beginning, then?

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><p><em>"What do you want?"<em>

_"Answers."_

_"We're not telling you anything."_

_"You don't have that option."_

_The pain resonated throughout my body. The Titan was becoming weak._

_"Let's try this again," Solomon spoke up after the electricity began to fade throughout our bodies. "Where are you from?" _

_Ilana spoke about how we had to get out of that place. Octus explained something that I didn't really understand. Couldn't he just shut up and do what he had to in order to get us out of here?_

_"What is your mission?"_

_The Titan was shutting down._

_Solomon looked at our robot is surprise, "What is it doing?" _

_In a matter of moments, we had escaped, but the constant fear that G3 would be on our tracks resonated. They found out that it took three to operate Titan, and that was too much for them to know._

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><p>I brushed my mind away from the flashback. Octus saved the day. When had I saved the day? <em>Octus. A robot-man-thing who was my closest friend and also a protector of Ilana. <em>His power has been drained. It's all G3's fault too. What made Ilana think we could trust them? Never mind, they want to help us. They want to protect Ilana and I, knowing that we are good. Like me, they're protectors of the Earth. Yet they made us go through so much pain to get answers. Why do they want answers? What good would it do their organization? They're humans and they wouldn't understand. So, the day the asked us for answers was the day our fear of their group grew. They were the one human force that actually had basic knowledge of our abilities. Yet we had no idea why they wanted to examine us. I know think that they wanted to protect Earth from any alien threat, but that seems too suspicious. However, I understand of the feeling you get when you want to protect the ones you love. That's all they were doing. The fear Ilana, Octus, and I encountered was great. That day we realized that G3 could release any information about us to the media. No matter what though, they kept silent. If only back then I could've trusted them.

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><p><em>"We don't know anything about them, what they want," Ilana had explained.<em>

_"They want to destroy Titan," I said as-matter-of-fact._

_"No, they had the opportunity to, but they didn't. They just wanted answers."_

_"And I think we need answers as well," Octus stated in his monotone voice._

_"Fine, but we'll have to be more cautious than ever. Somehow they got their hands on Galalunian tech."_

_"That is most disturbing."_

_"I guess now we have more than the Mutraddi monsters to watch out for."_

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><p>I didn't want to get mixed up with them, for I thought they were on an opposing side. The day Octus's powers drained from his system, he recieved a message from the Galactic Guardian Group. I tried to ignore the message, but Ilana and Octus insisted that we worked together to save G3. The only thing that was on my mind when a mentioning of G3 came along was that I needed to protect Ilana. At the time, I had no knowledge whether or not they wanted to protect her also. I couldn't risk the chances of them wanting to destroy her. She's all I have left to remind me of my planet, the planet that I fought for. Now, I'm fighting for Galaluna and Earth. Neither one can be infiltrated by Mutraddi monsters. I must protect them both.<p>

I failed, though. I tried my best but it was all because of me and my foolish mistake that we can't form Titan any more. Now, we're relying on G3? It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I was supposed to protect both Ilana and Octus. Octus was supposed to help us form Titan and solve mathematical and scientific problems. Ilana was supposed to keep us all in order by teaching us how to blend in with the Earthlings by showing us how to love. _Love. It's an odd term. Octus was a robot, therefore he knew not how to love. I wish I know what it means, but I don't. I don't even know how to love. _Through all of our might, we had all failed. Ilana got discouraged at the way the other students sometimes treated her. Octus is gone. I have failed, for I was supposed to be the one who was to use my strength -emotional and physical- to protect both them. It's all my fault.

As I turned slightly in my bed where my eyes were facing the wall, the door had creaked slightly opened. Light began to dance on a small area of the wall. It was just the medics, I had thought. Yet I wondered why they would be checking up on me. I only needed rest. Ilana was the one with burns and she should be attended to. I, on the other hand, am well able to take care of myseld. After a moment of no sounds, I propped myself on my bed. _It might not be those medics. _There were slight whispers, but I could not see anyone in the doorway. A red glove grasped the edge of the door. "Oh, wait, he's awake." The soldier entered my room, full in suit. He stopped and bowed at an odd angle. This type of respect I had never witnessed from these humans. "Lance," the soldier began, but before he could continue I noticed another figure entering into the doorway. I tried to adjust my eyes to the light. I took my fists to rub against my eyelids. I acted as if I were too sleepy for any visitors. Shoot, I did everything to give the hint off that I was not ready to speak to people yet.

No matter how obvious my unspoken efforts were, the soldier insisted that I welcome this guest. "Miss Ilana is here to see you." I blinked. I couldn't talk to her yet. Wait, what was she doing awake? She was unable to walk when I saw her earlier. Wait, why does she want to talk to me? I haven't sorted out all of my thoughts yet, and I'm positive she hadn't sorted out her own. "She may come in," I spoke in a soft tone. The G3 soldier nodded and exited the room as Ilana entered. "Hey," came her broken, hoarse voice. She sat carelessly on the bed I was assigned to. She coughed before she spoke once more. "I'm sorry, Lance. Can I sit here?" She must have felt awful for intruding in on my not-so-well slumber. "I don't mind, Ilana. Sit and rest."

She seemed restless and exhausted, but she wouldn't let that stop her from talking to me. "Lance, do you ever think we could be could back home?" _Home. A place where one resides. _Which home was she talking about? Galaluna or Earth? "I don't know. It's risky if we ever leave here. Why are you even thinking of that, Ilana? You should really be getting some rest after all that has happened." Her brown eyes showed proof that she dared to speak out against my claims. "I will not until I can have some sort of closure." "Closure?" She sighed, "Lance, what do you think our house is like now? Do you think the government destroyed it?" I gave an inclination that I had no idea. She sighed once more, "I need to know if the Earthlings hate us now. We can't have that happen! We've protected them all this time, and now, we've disappointed them."

She laughed. "The boy across the street had an action figure of Titan, Lance. We're role models!" "Yeah, well, we failed them." As I tried to get back underneath the covers, she grabbed my hand. "We have to do something." There was a silence between us. "We need to reveal that we're Titan-" "Ilana, no!" I said rationally before she said anything else more ridiculous. "You have to be kept safe." She adjusted her position as I my hands cupped her face. "Why do you have to keep me safe? I am perfectly capable of saving myself." "Ilana, I was put in charge to keep you and Octus both out of harm's way. If anything were to happen to you, it would be on my head." "I just don't want people to be disappointed in us, Lance." "There not. You said it yourself. A little boy playing with an action figure, he probably still is."

Her stomach growled. Evidently, she was weak, hungry, and fatigue. "I should probably go now. I just realized that we were all protecting the people of Earth. After all, it's our home. When their under attack by an earthquake or tsunami, we are to. Mutraddi attack them and it's all because I'm here. You weren't the only one given the authority to protect Octus. I was too. I am to protect you also. Lance-" She paused and I looked intently into her eyes. I may come off as cold, but that's because I am. However, I'm here to protect the heir of my planet. She's not just the princess, she's more like a sister and a friend. In this case we both failed, because we both had arguments when we were supposed to be happy and kind-hearted.

"Princess-" she corrected me. "Ilana, even if I failed to complete my duty, I want you to know that Octus and you both taught me valuable lessons in life." She couldn't stop from laughing. "Okay, fine, the one time I tried to be all sappy, you laugh. I'm going to bed." "No, Lance. It's just that you have changed on Earth, and I have too. Good night, fellow protector of Earth." She called for a soldier at my doorway to escort her back to her assigned room. "Good-night." I lay my head back on the rough pillow. I have failed, but I have succeeded.

If I was on Galaluna this moment, I don't know what I'll do. The planet is painted with a thick coat of war. Of course, they're my home planet. Earth, though, helps me escape the fact that I've lost so many people in my life. Earth gives me hope. I see the stars burning bright in the eyes of the people. When they fear themselves, I have this fear of my own that their life will turn into something like mine- broken and cold. I don't want them to have the feelings and pain I endured at a young age. I prove to the people of Earth, that anyone can save the day. Maybe -just maybe-I act out in violence, because it's just my personality. Have you ever thought I might act out violently, because I want to protect a place I love, the people I love, the sights, the sounds that I can not experience anywhere else? It may seem that I don't know what love means, but I do. Protection is love. A father and mother protects their newborn child from the hate and pain of society. Like I protect Earth from the Mutraddi and even the hate we endure on a day-to-day basis. I protect Earth...just because I can.


End file.
